Origins A memoir by Amin Maalouf

Recently translated from French, Origins recounts Maalouf's paternal genealogical history. Taking Cuba and the mountains of Lebanon as backdrops for this voyage into the past, Maalouf delivers a captivating account of his grandfather's quest to find his brother. The authors weaves with great dexterity into his narrative, hints and passages on the rise of Arab nationalism in Ottoman history and delves into the origins, or perhaps the first traces of Lebanese sectarian strife. The story of his grandfather serves as a unique portrait to better understand an obscure timeline in his family but also sheds light on the context of his era as well.

De Niro's game by Rawi Hage

Winner of the International IMPAC award in 2008, De Niro's game is Hage's first novel. The author tells the story of two young men who grew up together in Lebanon during the war. The novel traces their wild lives as they face with the difficult decision to either leave Lebanon or stay and participate in organized crime in order to raise money. This bestselling book depicts a vivid and complex story of two young men confronted with difficult decisions in the worst of circumstances.

The Hakawati by Rabih Alameddine

The third of Alameddine's novels, The Hakawati is Osama al-Kharrat's return back home for the funeral of his father. As his family gathers and stories are told, Osama discovers his grandfather's profession as Hakawati. The author beautifully connects Arab classic stories to the contemporary lives of men and women whom Osama meets during his stay in Beirut. The story tells a remarkable tale of the forgotten craft of the Hakawati and draws our attention to new and inventive stories that fill his protagonist's life with thoughts on war, identity and life events.